fetzer



(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 18,1887.-

Witnesses N PETERS. Prwwum m WashinglamllC.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrica JAMES J. FETZER, OF COLUMBIANA, OHIO.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,309, dated January 18, 1887.

Application filed November 3, 1886. Serial No. 217,902. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. FETZER, a citizen of the United St ates, residing at Columbiana, in the county of Oolnmbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My inventionrelates to improvements in running-gear for vehicles, and is designed more especially as an improvement on the Herbrand gear-irons, and the construction shown in Letters Patent of the United States granted June 8, 1886, No. 843,296.

The invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective of my improved running-gear at tached to the front axle. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged views, in perspective,'of the fifthwheel plates detached. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views, respectively, of the lower front reach-iron and the bottom axle-plate.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters marked thereon. A represents the axle; B the lower, and O the upper, fifthwheel plates; D, the head-block; E F, the two reaches, and G the spring.

From the plate 0 projects rearwardlyalug, (1, provided with an aperture, a, to receive the king-bolt, and forwardly a similar lug, b, to receive the bolt end a of the lower front bifurcated reach-iron, H, which extendsrearwardly under bothreaches, and is provided with an aperture, (1, to receive the lower end of the king-bolt I.

The plate B is provided with a rearwardlyprojecting arm, 0, from the upper-surface of present construction. Furthermore, by providing the two arms J K the fifth-wheel is greatly relieved from vertical strain, the weight being distributed upon the two arms or braces on opposite sides of the center of said wheel, and the tendency of the fifth-wheel to tilt to one side or the other, when the king-bolt and the apertures through which it passes become worn,isentirelyovercome. Thistiltingaction of the fifthwh eel is due to any difference in the weight that may preponderate on one side of the body, and becomesa serious annoyance to the occupants of the vehicle.

It will be observed that by my construction the fifth-wheel is positively held against any possibility of tilting to either side, as it is secured by the arms J K and the king-bolt I,

which passes down through the lug a of the plate 0 and through the arm 6 of the plate B.

On the outsides of the arms J K are cars h h, and on the front of'the plate 0 are corresponding cars, 13 t', to receive the bolts k 7a, which secure the spring Gand the head-block Dto the upper fiftlrwheel plate, 0. The plate Ois provided with segmental rub-irons L, and

the lower plate, B, with corresponding irons,

M, common to'the peculiar style of gear-irons sought to be improved.

. Nrepresentsthe bottom axle-plate, provided with a projecting lug, it, having a hole, 0, through which the king-bolt passes, and-end projections through which the clips pass for securing it to the axle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- In a running-gear for vehicles, the combinati0n,with fifth-wheel plates having segmental rub-irons, and the upper plate provided with two angular rearwardly-projecting arms having short bends near their point of juncture with the plate, ofa projecting lug for the king-bolt between said arms, and abifurcated lower front reaclriron secured to both reaches and the upper plate of the fifth-wheel in front 'of the axle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J. FETZER.

\Vitnesses:

OLIVER CRAWFORD, JOHN J. BEATTY. 

